Sunday, March 23, 2008

Elliot Johnson adds to resume

Elliot Johnson is regularly a second baseman, but he's been used at shortstop and center field this spring while the Rays consider him for the Opening Day roster. Johnson also said Saturday that he may see time at third base soon.

He last played shortstop in the regular season in 2005 with the Biscuits (for one game) and said he last played third base at instructionals "for a day" in the fall of "'02 or '03." His previous center field experience was in Little League, he said.

I know I didn't remember the 2005 game he played shortstop. According to his career statistics, he also played one game at short in both 2002 and '03. There are no lasting public records of instructs from that long ago. Johnson played left field for one game at low-A Charleston in 2003.

He's played four games in his career not at second base or as the designated hitter.

"All of it is just catch the ball and throw the ball," Johnson said. "Just tell me where to go. The angles are different and the throws are different, but it's all the same idea."

Some more Biscuits trivia on that moment: Johnson had three chances and made two errors, making his career fielding percentage at short for the Biscuits .333. Yet, it's not the worst career fielding percentage for a Biscuits shortstop. Frank Moore played one game there for the Biscuits and had two chances, making two errors (career percentage .000).